Course Overview

The Foundation Year will allow you to develop your academic study skills and build confidence in your abilities, identifying your own strengths and development needs for progression onto an undergraduate degree.

During your first year, we will help you identify what employers are looking for from their future recruits, including practical and transferrable skills, personal qualities and business awareness. This new knowledge will lay an excellent foundation for you when you graduate, enabling you to present yourself effectively to employers using a CV, application form and during interviews.

We will also encourage you to develop your entrepreneurial skills. We’ll show you how to formulate a plan for a new idea or product, showing who your customers are and how their needs will be met. You’ll also learn how to pitch your ideas in a range of ways.

Other modules in the Foundation Year include Computing Essentials, covering web design and mobile apps, networking and programming, and also Digital Media which will give you the basic processing skills needed to manage content such as images, animations and audio.

What will this course cover?

The degree has a broad scope and covers the main areas within the field of computing. You'll also learn key industrial skills that are transferrable within technology based careers. During your time with us, you'll learn about all crucial aspects of computer system and software development including analysis, design, development, testing and maintenance.

This hands on course will see you master the art of computer programming using core languages such as: Java, C# and C++. You'll cover the full systems implementation cycle. This will be done using industrial standard tools and techniques including Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE) tools and through advanced development methods.

Developing skills for a career in IT

Our programme balances theory and practice in computing systems and software engineering. This course provides a strong foundation and offers the opportunity to specialise in various computing branches of the industry. Students focus on their areas of specialist interest by choice of options and through an individual project in the final year. Thus enabling you to move forward into a number of sector career paths such as Software Developer, System Development, Mobile Development, Networking & Security, Database Management, IT support and Research.

Where the Foundation Year is taught at our Aylesbury Campus all subsequent years will be taught at our High Wycombe Campus.

More placements, more choices

Bucks is a Placements Plus university. So, whatever degree you do, you can be sure there’ll be plenty of industry-relevant opportunities on offer, to help you get into your chosen field.

We’ll also prepare you for work beforehand, with special skills for work training, further boosting your CV, and building skills employers will value. In recognition of the value we place on these skills we have incorporated this experience into your study time.

Placements Plus is all about helping you get some valuable experience under your belt while you’re a student. To increase your choices later, and help you get the graduate-level job you want.

Course Details

UCAS CODE: II10

From analysis and design, through to database theory, networking, object-orientated programming, mobile computing and web-development, the BSc (Hons) Computing (with Foundation Year) course at Bucks offers a strong understanding of current computing applications design and development. You will develop a full-range of system development skills including maintenance and quality assurance as well as a variety of transferable skills for industry.

A Wealth of Experience

We have a strong computing department at the University, with an experienced team of dedicated academics and professionals delivering industry-relevant courses in a suite of well-equipped computer labs.

The computing curriculum is aligned with key elements of recognised professional certification* programmes. The course has been developed with input from major industry leaders such as Microsoft, Oracle, HP and Cisco. This is to maximise opportunities for graduates when entering the jobs market. (*Full accreditation is via self-funded examinations)

What are the course entry requirements?

If you do not meet the minimum requirements for the three-year programme, or do not feel fully prepared for a Level 4 course, this four-year programme including a Foundation Year could be for you.

You'll need to hold GCSE English and Mathematics at grade C/4 or above, and will usually have achieved a minimum of 90 credits from a Level 3 qualification such as A Levels or BTECs.

International students should hold an IELTS of 5.5 (minimum of 5.5 in all areas).

Applicants will also be invited to attend an interview.

Course Modules

Module Map

This module map provides a list of the modules that make up your course.

Each module is worth a specified number of credits (typically either 15 or 30 credits for undergraduate courses). Compulsory (or ‘core’) modules cover key subject knowledge, while ‘option’ modules enable you to develop your own interests. For a full-time course you must take modules worth a total of 120 credits at each level of the course. The number of option modules you can take depends on the number of compulsory modules at each level. You can find more information about how your course is structured via the Academic Advice pages.

Our teaching is informed by research and employer requirements, and modules change periodically to reflect developments in the subject area. In addition, where we have insufficient numbers of students interested in an option module, this may not be offered. If an option module does not run, we will advise you as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.

The modules available on this course are as follows:

Foundation Year Modules

Inquiry and Research Skills

Digital Media

Computing Essentials

Preparing for Success Knowledge and Creativity

Preparing for Success Self-development and Responsibility

Year 1 Modules

Application Programming

Business Modelling

Computer Architectures

Digital Technologies and Professional Practice

Networking

Programming Concepts

User Experience (UX)

Web Development

Year 2 Modules

Web Applications

Network Systems

Object Oriented Systems Development

Database Design

Open Source Systems

Software Engineering

Intro to Intelligent Systems (Team Project)

Mobile Systems

Year 3 Modules

Advanced Programming (optional)

Knowledge-Based Systems in A.I. (optional)

Cloud Computing (optional)

Database Development (optional)

Enterprise Systems Development (optional)

Advanced Mobile Development

Quality Assurance and Testing

Learning Machines and Intelligent Agents (optional)

Security (optional)

Database Technologies (optional)

Data Structures and Algorithms (optional)

Project

Fees

How much does it cost

Full Time Home and EU, September 2019: £9,250 per year

Full Time International, September 2019: £12,000 per year

Full Time Home and EU, February 2020: £9,250 per year

Full Time International, February 2020: £12,000 per year

Most courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees.

Teaching team

Employability

What are my career prospects

Being able to contribute to the analysis, design, creation and management of information systems and software, you will find a variety of exciting and dynamic career paths open to you. You will be qualified to work in software development, systems analysis, corporate or Government IT, database administration, web system development, system support, network engineering and research. You may also enjoy a career in the vibrant and growing area of Mobile and Cloud Computing.

How will you help me prepare for my future career?

Throughout your time with us we'll support you on the route to your chosen career. We'll help you to develop crucial skills, encouraging you to become enterprising, employable and good leaders.

We encourage our students to gain sector experience whilst studying and actively look for clients for their project work. Which provide them with the opportunity to develop their skills in a work base setting. Our modules and teaching expertise will help you become more independent as a learner and more confident of your discipline expertise, ready for your exciting future within the growing computing world.

We also help you find employment after graduation. Have a look at our Careers and Employment pages to find out more.

The Big Deal

At Bucks, we believe in putting our students first. That’s why our Students’ Union have developed our exclusive ‘Big Deal’ package. We’re the only university in the UK to offer free access to such a diverse and exciting range of activities – all to enrich the university experience.

We offer FREE events and entertainment, additional skills workshops, sports, recreational activities, societies and paid student rep schemes. All at one of the top 10 Students’ Unions in the UK. It’s a big deal!